The complex structure and morphology of ultrathin praseodymia films deposited on a ruthenium(0001) single crystal substrate by reactive molecular beam epitaxy is analyzed by intensity-voltage low-energy electron microscopy in combination with theoretical calculations within an ab initio scattering theory. A rich coexistence of various nanoscale crystalline surface structures is identified for the as-grown samples, notably comprising two distinct oxygen-terminated hexagonal Pr2O3(0001) surface phases as well as a cubic Pr2O3(111) and a fluorite PrO2(111) surface component. Furthermore, scattering theory reveals a striking similarity between the electron reflectivity spectra of praseodymia and ceria due to very efficient screening of the nuclear charge by the extra 4f electron in the former case.
Keywords: Ceria; Electron scattering; Low-energy electron microscopy and Diffraction; Oxide films; Praseodymia; Rare-earth oxides.
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